Chair.



W. S. PHILLIPS.

CHAIR,

- APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1909.

Patented May 17, 1910.

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R 8 0 VI m m MP 0 N U [m A I PM S W. S. PHILLIPS.

CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY14, 1909.

Patented May 17,1910.

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INVEIWOH MLLIAM PHILL IF 5 ATTORIVE rs *IFFICE.

WILLIAM SHERMAN PHILLIPS, OF CAMERON. WEST VIRGINIA.

CHAIR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SHERMAN PHILLIPS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Cameron, in the county of Marshall and State of WestVirginia, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Chairs, ofwhich the following is a speclfication.

My invention is an improvement in chairs, and consists in certain novelconstructions, and combinations of parts hereinafter de scribed andclaimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a chair, which will fold upunder a table or other support out of the way, when not in use, by meansof a spring and which may be easily drawn out into position whenrequired, and will be locked in such position by its own weight.

Referring to the drawings forming a part hereof: Figure 1 is an end viewof a portion of a table provided with two chairs, Fig. 2 is a plan viewof the telescoping arm, and its connections, Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of the same, Fig. 4 is a side view, partly in section, of a portionof the chair, Fig. 5 is a similar view of the outer section of thetelescoping arm, Fig. 6 is a plan view of the bracket, and Fig. 7 is aperspective view of the plate for connecting the bar to the table.

The embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings comprises a table,which may be of any preferred construction, and as shown in thedrawings, consists of a top 1, supported by legs 2, and the table isprovided near each side with the usual extension slide 3, having on itsinner face the undercut groove 4. A bar 5 is provided near each end witha plate 6, connected to the bar by a bolt 7, which passes throughregistering openings in the bar and plate, and the free end of the boltis engaged by a wing nut 8. The inner end of the plate is bent at aright angle to the plate as at 9 and engages the bar, while the otherend is bent slightly toward the bar as at 10 and rests in the undercutgroove as shown in Fig. 1. At approximately the center of the bar, adepending arm 11 is arranged perpendicular to the bar, and a bracketplate 12 is arranged on each side of the arm, each of said plates havingat its upper end an angular portion 13, which is secured to the bar byrivets 14, and at its lower end an offset journal pin 15. A bearing 16connected with a bracket is j ournaled on each pin, and secured in placeby a nut 18.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 14, 1909.

Patented May 17, 1910. Serial No. 495,960.

The bracket consists of spaced plates 17, connected at each end by bolts18, 19, and on one of the bolts 18 is journaled a pulley 20, and on theother is journaled, a bearing 21 on a hanger 22, connected with theouter section of a telescoping bar 23, provided with feet 24.

A link 25 is pivoted by one end to an eye 26 on the hanger, and theother end of the link is bent slightly as at 27, and provided with anopening in which is secured one end of a chain 28, and the other end isconnected with a hook 29 on a coil spring 30, the chain passing over thepulley. The opposite end of the spring is also provided with a hook 31,which engages an eye 32 on the end of a threaded stem 34, which passesloosely through an angular bracket 33 on the adjacent bracket plate, andis engaged by a nut 35, to secure the stem in place, and to permitadjustment of the spring.

The telescoping bar before mentioned, consists of the outer sect-ion 23,and an inner section 36, to whose free end is connected a cross bar 37,which has at each end a vertical lug 38, provided with a bayonet slot39.

The chair consists of a seat 40, supported by legs 41, which are bracedby cross bars 42, and the seat is provided at its rear corners with lugs43, to which are pivoted the f side bars 44 of the back. The said sidebars are longitudinally slotted, at their lower ends, and a plate 45, issecured in the slot, and the plates and legs are provided withregistering openings, through which pass the pivot pins 46. The lowerface of the seat, adjacent to each side bar, is recessed as at 50, and aplate spring 51, is secured in each recess by screws 52,.the free end ofthe spring extending beneath the lower end of the plate 45, beforementioned, and the said plate is provided with an enlarged lower end,having two fiat faces 53 and 54, which rest against-the plate, the face53 when the back is erect and the face 54 when the back is folded. Itwill be evident, that the construction provides a means for locking theback in both erect and folded positions. The ends of the rear legs areprovided with rollers or casters 47, and each front leg is provided witha foot 4" and on its inner face, and near its lower end, with a plate48, which is fitted upon and secured to the leg, and each of the platesis provided with an angular hook 49, for engaging the bayonet slot 39 ofthe adjacent lug 38, the chair swinging on the said hooks.

The operation of the device is extremely simple, and is as follows: henthe chair is in the position shown at the right of Fig. 1, that is infolded position, and it is desired to unfold the same, the seat isgrasped, and pulled outward. This swings the telescoping bar on the bolt19, to bring the said bar into the horizontal position shown at the leftof Fig. 1, and at the same time the chair swings on the hooks 49, intothe position shown in the same figure. The back is now elevated, and theweight of the chair holds it in such position. To fold the chair beneaththe table, the process is re versed, the back being first folded, andthe chair being tilted backward, when the spring 30 will draw the partsinto the folded position shown at the right of the same figure. The foot457 of the front legs, is of felt or like soft material, to permit thechair to fold noiselessly, and to prevent the marring of the table, bythe engagement of the foot therewith.

It will be evident that the table may be provided with an indefinitenumber of chairs, from one to as many as may be desired, and each chairis entirely independent of all the others. The entire mechanism of thechair may be removed from the table, by loosening the wing nuts 8, andswinging the plates out of engagement with the undercut notches. Thechairs are shown as arranged in pairs, and it is evident thatthesupporting bar or bracket may be secured to any suitable support, notnecessarily a table, which is shown merely for convenience. It is alsoevident that by slight modification of the arm 11, three chairs might besupported thereby, and with no modifications whatever, four chairs couldbe connected therewith, one on each face of the said support. lVithsmall tables designed for four persons this would be the preferablearrangement.

It will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 1, that when folded, thechairs are entirely supported by the table, and do not touch the floorat any point, and that there is sufiicient clearance beneath the lowestpart of the chairs and the floor, to permit the use of a carpet sweeperor a like device, without interfering with the chairs.

The improved chair is especially adapted for use at telephone tablesdining tables and writing desks, and may be made in any suitable style,or of any suitable and desired material. In folding the chair, it isrolled inwardly, on the rollers 47 while the front is tilted, and sincethere is no lifting of the chair, required to fold or unfold, it may bemade of heavy material, without becoming unwieldy. It will also beevident from Fig. 1 that the spring does not act on the telescoping baras long as it is in the position shown at the left, except in thedirection of the length of the link, and will not commence to exert aswinging action until the hanger is moved out of a true verticalposition. This is due to the bent end of the link, and its connectionswith the hanger instead of to the bar.

By means of the telescoping arm, the chair may be adjusted toward andfrom the table to suit the user, and usually in folding the chair thearm is contracted before commencing the folding operation, the chairthus occupying less space under the table.

I claim:

1. The combination with a table provided on its under face with blocksspaced apart from each other, and provided on their adjacent faces withundercut grooves, of a bar provided at its center with a depending arm,a plate at each end of the bar and having an angular portion at one endfor engaging the bar and an angular portion at the other end forengaging the slot, a bolt passing through the bar and the plate, and anut on the bolt for securing the plate thereto, a bracket plate securedto each side of the arm and provided at its lower end with a journalpin, a pair of spaced plates on each side of the arm and provided with abearing engaging the adjacent journal pin, a bolt at each end of theplates and connecting them together, a pulley on the upper bolt, ahanger journaled on the lower bolt, a telescoping arm whose one sectionis connected with the hanger, a cross bar secured by its center to thefree end of the other section, and provided at each end with a verticallug, having a bayonet slot, a chair comprising a bottom and legs, afolding back hinged to the bottom, a plate secured to the inner face ofeach front leg, an angular hook on the plate wit-h which the bayonetslot of the adjacent lug engages, a link pivoted by one end to thesection of the telescoping arm adjacent to the hanger, a chain connectedwith the other end, a bracket on the bracket plate, and a springconnected by one end to the bracket, and by the other to the chain, saidchain passing over the pulley.

2. The combination with a table provided on its under face with blocksspaced apart from each other, each having on its inner face an undercutslot, of a bar provided with a central depending arm, a plate detachablyconnected with each end of the support and engaging the slot of theadjacent block, a pair of spaced plates journaled on a vertical axis, onthe lower end of the arm and at each side thereof, a pulley j ournaledbetween the plates at their upper end, a hanger journaled between theplates at their lower end, a telescoping arm whose one section isconnected with the hanger, a link pivoted to the hanger, a chainconnected with the free end of the link, a spring connected with theadjacent bracket plate and with the chain, and passing over the pulley,and a chair provided with a folding back pivoted to the outer end of theother section.

3. The combination with a table provided on its under face with blocksspaced apart from each other, each having on its inner face an undercutslot, of a bar provided with a central depending arm, a plate detachablyconnected with each end of the support and engaging the slot of theadjacent block, a pair of spaced plates journaled on a vertical axis, onthe lower end of the arm and at each side thereof, a pulley journaledbetween the plates at their upper end, a hanger journaled between theplates at their lower end, a telescoping arm whose one section isconnected with the hanger, a chain connecting the hanger with thebracket plate and passin over the pulley, a spring interposed in t echain, and a chair provided with a folding back hinged to the othersection of the arm.

4:. The combination with a table, of a bar provided with a centraldepending arm, means for detachably connecting the ends of the bar withthe table, a hanger j ournaled on a transverse axis on the lower end ofthe arm, a telescoping arm whose one section is rigid with the hanger, achair provided with a folding back pivoted to the other section, and aspring connecting the hanger with the depending arm.

5. The combination with a table, of a depending arm detachably connectedtherewith, a hanger journaled in a transverse axis on the lower end ofthe arm, a telescoping arm whose one section is rigid with the hanger, achair provided with a folding back pivoted to the other section, and aspring connecting the hanger with the depending arm.

6. In a device of the class described, an arm, means in connection withthe arm for detachably connecting it with a support, a hanger j ournaledon a transverse axis on the lower end of the arm, a telescoping armwhose one section is rigid with the hanger, a chair provided with afolding back pivoted to the other section, and a spring connecting thehanger with the depending arm.

7. In a device of the class described, a central support provided with aplurality of vertically arranged journal pins spaced at equal angleswith each other, a plurality of telescoping arms, a bracket for eacharm, upon which one of the sections is hinged, each of said bracketshaving a bearing for engaging a journal pin, and a chair hinged to theother section of each arm.

WILLIAM SHERMAN PHILLIPS.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN BUTLER ELDER, CHARLES MILTON PHILLIPS.

